From urban voids to urban commons. Examples from the Municipality of Pavlos Melas

Exploring a historic site in transformation

Vasiliki Kartsiakli shed light on unseen and largely unknown aspects of the former “Pavlos Melas” military camp, which has now been transferred to the Municipality of Pavlos Melas and is undergoing redevelopment. “To explore ways in which these spaces, often referred to as urban voids, can be revitalized, we must first walk through them, learn their history, understand how their uses have changed over the centuries, and travel back in time by stepping into the lives of those who once walked and lived in these neighborhoods”. With these words, Vasiliki Kartsiakli began narrating the full story of the former “Pavlos Melas” military camp, from the late 19th century and the era of the Ottoman Empire to the present day: she recounted the construction of buildings for use by the Ottoman army, the mosque that later changed its use, and the distinct architectural features of the buildings, all intertwined with historical events.

The use of the military camp by the Greek army after the liberation of Thessaloniki and later by the Allies of the Entente left a significant mark on the area. However, it was during the Nazi occupation that this site experienced one of the darkest periods in modern history, particularly for the prisoners held there. The camp became infamously known as the Dachau of Thessaloniki. A particularly moving moment of the tour was the reading of excerpts from the diary of prisoner Leonidas Yassimakopoulos by actor Vasilis Vasileiou. These passages vividly described the daily life of the prisoners: the harsh conditions of imprisonment, the moments of horror and anguish during executions but also the detailed accounts of everyday life within the camp.

The buildings of the former “Pavlos Melas” military camp, after the liberation of Thessaloniki (1912), were used by the Greek army until 2003. The site and its buildings, many of which have been designated as preserved landmarks, evolved through their use by the local community, while, since 2016, the former military camp was officially transferred by the government to the Municipality and the local community, with the goal of transforming it into a Metropolitan Park connecting all the western neighborhoods, serving as a green area, a place of remembrance, and a recreational space for the city’s residents.

Left: A deeply moving moment of the tour was the recitation of excerpts from the diary of Leonidas Yassimakopoulos, a prisoner at the “Pavlos Melas” camp during the Nazi occupation, performed by actor Vassilis Vassiliou. Right: The neglected and unmaintained memorial plaque for the thousands of imprisoned, tortured, and executed individuals during the Nazi occupation reflects the broader neglect that the site of the former “Pavlos Melas” camp has suffered.

The complex case of the former AGNO dairy industry

The multipart event was later moved to another urban void, the area of the former AGNO dairy industry. Sofia Christoforidou, based on research she conducted on the subject for the Heinrich Böll Foundation, briefly recounted the history of the site: “Initially, the land, which was public, was intended to be allocated for the resettlement of refugees. However, it was ultimately given for another public benefit purpose, as in the 1950s, there was an urgent need to promote milk pasteurization. The land was granted to cattle farmers as a move that would benefit the entire society, but it eventually became an asset of the cooperative, it was mortgaged, and when AGNO passed into the hands of the bank, the latter sold it to private individuals”.

The land, as noted by S. Christoforidou, remained in limbo for years regarding its designation until 2015, when the Municipality of Pavlos Melas began to claim it. “Just as in the case of the former ‘Karatassios’ military camp, where the National Defense Fund created obstacles to its transfer to the local community, similarly today the Ministry of Rural Development passed a law that changed the circumstances in order to ‘cover’ this change in ownership status and prevent itself from reclaiming the land, since the original purpose for which it had been granted no longer exists. Now, the municipality has taken legal action against the ministry to uphold common sense: to return the land to the ministry and, consequently, to allocate it to the citizens”.

Abandoned spaces seek new life

The event continued at Eleftherias Square in Ilioupoli, where the main discussion began with the words of Michalis Goudis, director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation: “Urban voids are spaces in the city, abandoned buildings, former industrial sites, unused plots which interrupt the continuity of the urban fabric”. The key question for him is how these spaces can be utilized to transform the appearance of our cities in the future. He said that these are cities “already facing the new reality of the climate crisis, cities that need more greenery, more public spaces”. However, the central issue in utilizing these vacant spaces is participation of citizens in the discussion about their future use. “The Municipality of Pavlos Melas has many urban voids such as these. We visited two of the most emblematic ones, the former 'Pavlos Melas' military camp and the former AGNO factory to discuss what their future could be, keeping in mind that we seek greater spatial justice for citizens”, he concluded.

The discussion panel on urban voids was held at Eleftherias Square in Ilioupoli. From left to right: Sokratis Seitanidis, Theologos Papadopoulos, Haris Christodoulou, Sofia Christoforidou.

Sofia Christoforidou, who also moderated the discussion, reminded the audience that urban voids are often tied to stories of abandonment, but at the same time, many of them are also stories of reclaiming by the residents. But are urban voids different from what we would typically define as public space? Sokratis Seitanidis attempted to answer the journalist’s question by giving a definition of urban voids: “Urban voids are abandoned spaces that cannot be utilized in strictly economic terms, they can be either built or unbuilt areas that have reached this state due to ownership issues, lack of permits for specific activities, land uses, etc.”. The spatial planning engineer pointed out that the city has plenty of such urban voids like former factories abandoned due to de-industrialization, as well as former military camps some of which are being repurposed for the benefit of local communities. According to S. Seitanidis, the key issue today is exploring the available approaches to repurpose these spaces and understanding how this process impacts local communities. In the case of the Municipality of Pavlos Melas, notable examples include the former ‘Karatassios’ military camp, the former “Pavlos Melas” military camp, which is undergoing redevelopment, and the former AGNO dairy factory.

Western Arc: A study on urban voids that was not implemented

In the 1990s, a comprehensive plan for addressing urban voids related to the “Western Arc” was developed by the Capital of Culture Organization in collaboration with university scholars. This plan was referenced by Haris Christodoulou, who explained that during that period, an architectural competition was held for large military camps (such as “Papakyriazi”, “Megalos Alexandros”, “Pavlos Melas” etc.) in order to connect them with a fixed-track transport system. “For the first time, a comprehensive discussion was held about what urban voids are. I remember a phrase used by foreign experts: 'Be careful with the voids in the city as sensitive bubbles.' Urban voids were studied by architects, and we formed a team from the university to document and expand the topic, including not only areas in a state of de-industrialization but also military camps, streams, areas left out of the city plans, abandoned buildings, and underutilized social infrastructures built by the municipality. The goal of the study was for these ideas to be discussed by the stakeholders, and this was a form of a small participatory process, although it did not include the residents. We documented all these cases in this arc, which started from Dendropotamos, passed through all the municipalities of western Thessaloniki, and reached the Eptapyrgio”, she said characteristically.

What were the results of the study? The professor responded that some of the proposals made by the municipalities based on this study, led to redevelopments, many of which received a positive reception from stakeholders and residents, such as the case of the Monastery of Lazarists. However, most of what was planned did not materialize, and mainly, as she pointed out, no reference points or connections between neighborhoods were created, preventing the involvement of the local community.

“Karatassiou” camp and citizen participation

The only good example of urban void management with the involvement of the local community is the former “Karatassiou” military camp, which opened, among other things, institutional pathways on the issue of citizen participation. S. Seitanidis even described the “Karatassiou” case as “an incredible long-term experiment, as the residents, since 2003 when the army left, have been involved in continuous efforts to keep the area a green space”. According to him, it is the greatest victory the local community has won against the Ministry of National Defense, which sought to commercially exploit part of the military camp. “What the collaboration between the local community, citizens, and local government achieved was the approval of the General Urban Plan, which stipulates that 75% must remain green and 25% will be designated for public uses, such as education, health, etc.”, said the Ph.D. of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, emphasizing that one of the greatest achievements of this effort is the establishment of the Urban Planning Committee of Karatassiou Neighborhood.

The formation of the committee is based on Law 1337/83, which allows the creation of committees like these by residents, to advise on urban planning issues in a neighborhood within each municipality. “We created this committee as a university in collaboration with the municipality, and it is not a committee of individuals but of associations and collectives: 18 associations, following a decision by the municipal council appoint a representative and form this committee, which expresses its opinion to the municipality for the utilization of the space. The municipality is obligated to seek its opinion whenever studies are conducted regarding land-use changes”. As for the former “Karatassiou” military camp, the residents are very concerned about the opening of a road within the site to facilitate ambulances and fire trucks due to the construction of the fly over road. The representatives of the associations jointly drafted a letter with the Deputy Mayor of Technical Works, asking the ministry for responses regarding its intentions concerning the use of the area and the timeline for the removal of debris and fences.

Reallocation of urban voids to the local community

The interesting discussion continued with the chronicle of the former AGNO dairy factory site, and the following question not only addressed the Municipality’s claim for these 17 acres but also the possibility of other smaller interventions in the neighborhoods. Naturally, the question was directed at the responsible Deputy Mayor of City Planning and Urban Design of the Municipality of Pavlos Melas, Theologos Papadopoulos.

“When we took over the administration, within the first few weeks, I divided the issues into big and small. The big ones include the former ‘Pavlos Melas’ military camp, the AGNO site, and the ‘Karatassiou’ military camp. We are looking at a rectangular triangle – the right angle is the Metropolitan Park of Pavlos Melas, one side is AGNO, and the other is ‘Karatassiou’– and we must try to put sustainable urban planning into practice. We have a vast municipality interrupted by Langada Street, it lacks geographical continuity, and this creates more challenges for urban planning”, he stated. He also emphasized that the legal claim for the AGNO site is in its final stage. “We hope that by 2024 we will have good news, and this will be the kick-off for what we want to call green development, sustainable planning, and sustainability in our neighborhoods. In a densely built area, green spaces and open public spaces are no surplus, and this is why we need work on this”. As he also added, this case is also connected with the former “Karatassiou” military camp, which must also be returned to the citizens. Regarding this matter, the Deputy Mayor stated, “when these spaces show that they can be maintained by local communities for so many years with this usage, we should not take steps backward for other purposes”.

Regarding other urban voids, abandoned spaces, and partially expropriated, he expressed the need for the municipality to invest in the direction of their complete expropriation so that they can be integrated into urban planning and transformed into pocket parks, playgrounds, and open recreational spaces for local communities. In the Municipality of Pavlos Melas, the number of such spaces that can be expropriated counts to 20-30, of which 5 can be started immediately and, as he emphasized, “can bring about a real change in the urban landscape by creating pockets of urban greenery in very densely built areas”.

Citizen involvement in urban planning

Regarding the residents’ involvement in planning, Theologos Papadopoulos mentioned that “decisions should not be made without the citizens' involvement, there must be open channels of communication, decisions should be made through municipal councils and committees in which collectives participate, so that these spaces are protected by citizens themselves”.

The event concluded with references to good examples from abroad, where in urban neighborhoods, permanent meeting places are created for residents who are involved in the planning and use of these spaces.

Haris Christodoulou mentioned Vienna, which is considered one of the cities ranked highly on the “global urban happiness index”. As she herself stated, the example of Vienna “proves that the municipality itself needs to assign responsibility to local groups, a move that significantly improves their quality of life, through participation and collaboration among all those who can contribute something to the neighborhood”. In Vienna, an old bakery factory, a landmark of the neighborhood, faced complex ownership issues. Finally, through the process of citizen participation and the municipality's support, it was transformed into a reference center for a neighborhood with many social problems. The building now includes spaces for collective kitchens, sewing, planting, and more, while also connecting to the broader surroundings and the city's ongoing developments. “The municipality not only supports it but supervises it through residents and architects. It is a unique example. In Thessaloniki and Greece in general, similar efforts were made during the economic crisis, and that’s when we realized we can do things even without money. What matters is the willingness to collaborate”. For Mrs. Christodoulou, the balance of collaboration between the municipality and the residents is crucial.

“There must also be active people who will take responsibility and inspire other residents to get involved and contribute. This also increases the level of happiness, as it is said, because only participation in public affairs, meetings and collective action give us a sense of meaning in our everyday lives”, stated the professor from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with Sokratis Seitanidis concluding, “the priority is for residents to have a say in the design of each space about to be expropriated, with the municipality and the university contributing and after that, the next step should be co-management. When this becomes a part of a society through innovative cooperative institutions, these spaces will continuously have life and care”.

The event concluded with music by the well-known international festival band Tendts and their psychedelic, space disco, African acid, and rave sounds, which were heard for the first time in the neighborhood where the band members grew up. In their own statements, they stressed the importance that urban voids and public spaces in general can have for the cultural activities of an area.

Πόλη σε εξέλιξη: Αξιοποιώντας τα αστικά κενά στον Δήμο Παύλου Μελά - Heinrich Boell Foundation - Office Thessaloniki

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